Advice On Quadcopter Brand & Use - Page 2

photographix · 01-08-2015, 10:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcvt

...If that wasn't the case, I would have bought the Vision version with the camera. Problem is you can't take the camera off and use it for other purposes, unless DJI changed that....

From what I have read on PhantomPilots.com, there is a quick-change plate for the Vision + now, from a company in NZ. Apparently you can put a GoPro with a ZenMuse H3-3D on it and keep the 2.4 GHz downlink working, which is nice. But it's pretty pricey...around $400 plus camera and gimbal. (Might have the price wrong, just going by memory and have poured a couple Fat Tires down the gullet.)

If I was in the market again, and had the disposable cash, I think I would go for the Inspire now. There's going to be some teething pains with it, but it looks pretty capable and software updates will fix the little bugaboos.

But for $1200, the Vision + is pretty darn awesome. IMO, it's still the best one out there at that price point.

gcvt · 01-09-2015, 12:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photographix

Quote:

Originally Posted by gcvt

...If that wasn't the case, I would have bought the Vision version with the camera. Problem is you can't take the camera off and use it for other purposes, unless DJI changed that....

From what I have read on PhantomPilots.com, there is a quick-change plate for the Vision + now, from a company in NZ. Apparently you can put a GoPro with a ZenMuse H3-3D on it and keep the 2.4 GHz downlink working, which is nice. But it's pretty pricey...around $400 plus camera and gimbal. (Might have the price wrong, just going by memory and have poured a couple Fat Tires down the gullet.)

If I was in the market again, and had the disposable cash, I think I would go for the Inspire now. There's going to be some teething pains with it, but it looks pretty capable and software updates will fix the little bugaboos.

But for $1200, the Vision + is pretty darn awesome. IMO, it's still the best one out there at that price point.

I did not know there was such a thing. That's great news. I'm on the PP Forum but don't read it enough. I gotta fly more and read PP more.

photographix · 01-09-2015, 01:43 PM

Took a while to find, but here's a link to the interchangeable gimbal mount stuff:

http://dronexpert.nl/product/pre-ord...ntom-2-vision/

The company is in the Netherlands, not New Zealand as I said in my other post.

larrie · 01-09-2015, 06:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photographix

From what I have read on PhantomPilots.com, there is a quick-change plate for the Vision + now, from a company in NZ. Apparently you can put a GoPro with a ZenMuse H3-3D on it and keep the 2.4 GHz downlink working, which is nice. But it's pretty pricey...around $400 plus camera and gimbal. (Might have the price wrong, just going by memory and have poured a couple Fat Tires down the gullet.)

Since the Inspire has a quick release camera mounting system I am wondering/hoping that they or someone else will develop other cameras with different focal length lenses that can be mounted in the QR mount. It would be nice to have a camera with a zoom lens or a fixed focal length of more that 20mm.

photographix · 01-09-2015, 08:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by larrie

Since the Inspire has a quick release camera mounting system I am wondering/hoping that they or someone else will develop other cameras with different focal length lenses that can be mounted in the QR mount. It would be nice to have a camera with a zoom lens or a fixed focal length of more that 20mm.

Problem with a zoom is that they are more complex (=expensive) and usually heavier than a prime. If you want to be able to zoom while flying, you'd have to add a motor (=more weight) and and another channel to the controller.

Besides, it's a quadcopter, and you can position as close as you want to your subject.

For me, I'm glad I have a fixed lens. It's tough enough flying, watching the battery, angling the camera, framing a shot, and answering questions all at the same time.

larrie · 01-09-2015, 09:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by photographix

Problem with a zoom is that they are more complex (=expensive) and usually heavier than a prime. If you want to be able to zoom while flying, you'd have to add a motor (=more weight) and and another channel to the controller.

Besides, it's a quadcopter, and you can position as close as you want to your subject.

For me, I'm glad I have a fixed lens. It's tough enough flying, watching the battery, angling the camera, framing a shot, and answering questions all at the same time.

All true. But it sure would be nice to have a 60 or 80mm prime lens. It would make shooting some of my subjects a whole lot simpler from a greater distance rather than up closes and personal.

Ocsmb · 01-10-2015, 03:06 AM

...answering questions. Lol. Very true

Jeffrey · 01-10-2015, 11:20 AM

I just did some serious research into the value of the new Inspire unit, and it's application to what I want to do. As a photographer, I want to shoot still images, not videos. The camera provided is made for video, but can shoot single frames. I'm not happy with the wide angle lens and the distortion visible in nearly every posted video. I want to shoot closer smaller scenes with a longer focal length. Unfortunately, the unit is made for that camera only and you can not easily adapt a good camera (such as my Fuji X Pro1). Well, I actually can adapt anything to anything, but the weight and lack of ability to remotely control any of the camera functions is pretty prohibitive.

Sheriffdoug · 01-10-2015, 05:10 PM

Jeffrey,
Just checked out your Photography site, Amazing, Thank You.
I heartily endorse your comments. I too take more stills than video and would like Quadcopter platform to take better stills, with a small dslr and a variety of detachable lenses.
A platform to carry something like a Canon G16, that is wireless capable.
Still looking!

Jeffrey · 01-10-2015, 05:33 PM

Doug, thanks for understanding. And thanks for the kind words about my photos.

The thing that's so nice about the Inspire unit, and probably other similar ones, is the great control you have of the camera and it's direction, stability, levelness and live view panning with the app. I don't know if you can control aperture and shutterspeed too. But, I want to shoot in RAW and want a normal lens. That wide angle makes everything on the ground look so small. The controls are so integrated to the units native camera that I doubt we would have most of them if we mounted out own camera such as a Fuji X series, a Canon G1x or similar. Without live view through the app, how would we know what we are taking a picture of?